Grabs, lifting-dogs, and like lifting and lowering apparatus



W.,.l. HOLLIQK. GRABS, LIFTIIIG DOGS AND LIKE LIFTING.AND LOWERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25, I920.

Patented May 4,1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Invalztai M W W. J. HOLLICK. GRASS, LIFTING DOGS, AND LIKE LIFTINGAND LOWERING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25, 1920.

1,339,341 Patented ay l, 1920.

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WALTER JOHN HOLLICK, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

GnABs, LIF'IING-DOGS, AND LIKE LIF'rING AND LO ERING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May-4, 1920.

Application filed February 25, 1920. Serial No. 361,329.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TAT/run JOHN Hon- LICK, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grabs, Lifting-Dogs, and like Lifting and Lowering Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to grabs, liftingdogs and like lifting and lowering apparatus, and has for its object to provide improved means for transferring the point of suspension in order to effect the closing and opening of the grab segments, gripping jaws or the like.

According to the invention, I employ in conjunction with the lifting chain of a grab lifting dog or like lifting and lowering apparatus a suspension device or coupling by the coupling and uncoupling of the members of which the point of suspension of the apparatus is changed whereby, on the one hand, the bucket segments, gripping jaws or the like of the apparatus are closed and are retained closed, and on the other hand, the bucket segments, gripping jaws or the like are opened and are retained open, and the device or coupling is so arranged in the apparatus that one of its members can be engaged with and disengaged from the other member without movement of the bucket segments, gripping jaws or the like whereby the device or coupling can be put into and out of action while the bucket segments, gripping jaws or the like are either open or closed.

In carrying the invention into effect, I preferably employ asuspension device or coupling comprising two cooperating mom'- bers, one of which comprises one or more cross pins or the like (hereinafter referred to as pins), and the other of which coinprises three sets of ratchet-like teeth or cam surfaces (hereinafter referred to as cam surfaces), the cam surfaces of two of the sets being so separated by through slots and the arrangement of the three sets being such that when the two members are brought together thepinsof the one member are guided by the first set of cam surfaces, of the other member, through the slots or a set of slots and strike the third set of cam surfaces and are thereby moved angularly relatively to and out of alinement with the slots so that a slight movement between the members in the initial or engaging direction the pins again engage the third set of cam surfaces and are again given an angular relative movement so that on movement. in the opposite disengaging direction the pins are guided through the slots or a set of slots and the two members are separated.

In such a suspension. device, one member is in the nature of a male member and the other is in the nature of a female member adapted to be entered by the male member, and either member or both members may be capable of angular movement. I prefer that the pin-carrying member should be in the form of a'female member and that the cam surfaces and slots should be formed on the exterior of a male member adapted to enter the female member and also for angular movement.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a developed view or diagram of the three sets of cam surfaces, and slots of one member of one form of a suspension device of the kind referred to. F ig. 2 is a front elevation, partly in section, illustrating one embodiment of the suspension device in a grab, the bucket segments of the latter being shown closed. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is'a transverse view show ing the bucket segments open. Fig. 5 is a similar view to Fig. 1 illustrating means of self-dumping with a single chain.

In Fig. 1, a. Z) and c designate the first. second and third sets of cam surfaces, respectively, and (Z designates the through slots between the first and second sets a, b. The three sets of cam surfaces may be formed on the exterior of a male member adapted to enter a complementary female pin-carrying member, or on the interior of a female member adapted to be entered by a complementary male pin-carrying member. In either case when the two members are brought together the pins are guided by the first set of cam surfaces (0 through the slots (Z and strike the surfaces 0 of the third set .0 when relative angular movement takes surfaces b and the following surfaces 7). On the members being again moved in the initial or engaging direction, the pins strike the surfaces 0 of the third set 0 and are again given a relative angular movement whereby on the members being again moved in the opposite or disengaging direction, the pins are guided by the surfaces 5 through the slots (Z and the members are disconnected. V In Figs. 2-4 a, e are the bucket segments pivoted together on pivots f, 7 provided on the ends of a frame 9. 7t, it are the usual rods by means of which the bucket segments are opened when the suspension is transferred to the rods. The rods are pivoted at their lower ends to the segments 6, e and their upper ends are pivoted on a crosshead j.

In the frame 9 is mounted a block secured by bolts m between cross-members g The block 70, which constitutes the pin-carrying member of the suspension device is formed with a bore 711 and has mounted in it pins a, a which project into the said bore. The complementary member of thesuspen sion device is constituted by a male member 0 adapted to enter the bore 71: of the block 70 and upon the exterior of which the three sets of cam surfaces (1, b, 0, and the slots d, Fig. 1, are formed. The member 0 is mounted in a crosshead p so as to be freely rotatable about its axis. The crosshead 7) has also mounted on its sheaves g, and its ends are fitted with slides r, 1 adapted to slide in vertical guides s, 8 carried by the frame The lifting and lowering chain t passes through an eye u on the crosshead 7', over the sheave 9, over a sheave o mounted in a bracket w carried by the crosshead thence over the sheave and is connected to the crosshead j at v Assuming the member 0 to be disconnected from the block Zgthe crosshead 7) then slides up the guides s, 8 until the head of the member 0 abuts against the sheave '0 and the various sheaves are all chock-a-block the grab being now supported from the crosshead 7', the bucket segments 6, e are opened by the rods 71,, as shown in Fig. 4, and the grab is ready for lowering to pick up the material to be raised. Toclose the bucket segments a, e to pick up material and to close the grab, the lifting chain t is first paid out to allow the crosshead p to fall and the male member 0 to enter the block is. On entering the block the third set of cam surfaces 0, Fig. 1, strike the pins 9?, n and effect a partial rotation of the. member 0 so that on subsequent hauling in ofthe chain t the pins engage the secondset Z) of cam surfaces when, the grab being now suspended from the frame 9 by the pins a, a, and in effect from the pivots f, f, the bucket segments are closed and the grab is raised.

In single chain grabs dumping may be effected by lowering the grab until it rests 1 1 4- upon the ground or other dumping point,

second chain by which the grab is supported may be directly attached to the'crosshead y,

the disconnection of the member 0 from the block 70 to open the bucket segments and dump the contents being effected by paying out and then hauling in the chain 25 when the grab is suspended by the second chain.

Or, for self-dumping, I may employ, as shown in Fig. 5, a second automatic suspension device of the kind previously referred to and comprising a male member 2' suspended at the desired height from the jib of the crane or the like by chains 3, a complementary female member 4: mounted on the grab crosshead j. The male member 2 is tubular for the passage of the lifting chain t and has provided on its exterior surface three sets of cam surfaces a, Z), c and slots (Z as in Fig. 1. The female member -l has retatably mounted in it a ring 5 provided with pins 6, 6 and through which the chain It also passes. Then the closed grab is raised by the chain t the female member passes over the male member 2 and the pins 6, 6 passing through the slots of the latter, co-act with the third set of cam surfaces th reof and partially rotate the pin ring 5 of the member 4-Qsothat on a slight subsequent lowering the pins 6, 6 engage the second set of cam surfaces of the member 2 and the grab is supported from the member 2 through its crosshead On further paying out and hauling in of the chain t the frame falls and the bucket segments 0, e are opened by the rods h, h to dump their contents. After the opening of the bucket segments 0, e, a slight still. further hauling in of the chain 25 will cause the sheaves 9, '0 to become chock-a-block the entire grab will. be lifted, and the pins 6, (3, of the female member 4: will again co-act with the third: set of cam surfaces of the member 2 and partially rotate the pin ring 5 to bring the pins 6., 6 thereof into line with the slots of the memher 2 Upon subsequent lowering of the chain t the members 2 and a separate an'd'the grab is lowered with the segments a, copen ready to pick up or grab again.

The lifting chainmight be directly connected to the membeno and the latter be adapted to abut against the crosshead j to transfer the suspension of the grab thereto from the frame gwhen the member 0 is disconnected from the block it. I prefer, however, to pass the. chain over the sheaves 9', g and o and connect its end to'the crosshead j, as shown, or to employ some other equiv means as ordinarily for insuring an initially slow lifting of the grab until the bucket segments are closed.

As will be obvious, the invention is also applicable to lifting-dogs and the like for transferring the point of suspension to close and open pivoted gripping sections, jaws, dogs or the like on lifting and lowering.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Lifting and lowering apparatus including a lifting and lowering chain, and comprising a suspension coupling device embodying a pair of engaging and disengaging members provided with cam surfaces, slots and pins and one of which members is rotatably mounted in the apparatus and one of which is operatively connected with the chain and is movable to and from the engaged and disengaged positions of the device when the apparatus is inoperative.

2. Lifting and lowering apparatus including a lifting and lowering chain, and comprising a suspension coupling device embodying a pair of engaging and disengaging members one of which is provided with slots and three sets of cam surfaces and the other of which is provided with pins which co-act with the cam surfaces and pass through the slotsof the first member to the engaged or disengaged positions of the device, one of the members being rotatably mounted in the apparatus and one of the members being operatively connected with the said chain and movable thereby to the engaged or disengaged positions of the device when the apparatus is inoperative.

3. In lifting and lowering apparatus, the combination of a cross head, a frame, sections pivoted to the frame and having an articulated connection with the cross head, an element mounted for reciprocation on said frame, a lifting cable connected with said element and cross head, coupling means between the element and frame comprising two co-acting members, one having a zigzag cam portion and also cam portions'for guiding a follower to definite positions with respect to said zig-zag portions, the other of said members constituting .a follower adapted upon successive slight reciprocations of the element on the frame to react with the said cam portions and produce a relative movement between the members progressively according to a definite order to couple and uncouple said element and frame.

4:. Lifting and lowering apparatus including. a lifting and lowering chain, and comprising a crosshead, pivoted sections, a frame on which the sections are pivoted, rods connecting the sections tothecrosshea'd, a suspension coupling device embodying a pair of engaging and disengaging members one of which is provided with slots and three sets of cam surfaces and the other of which is provided with pins which co-act with the cam surfaces and pass through the slots of the first member to the engaged and disengaged positions of the device, one-0f the members being mounted on the frame of the pivoted sections and the other being operatively connected with thesaid chain and movable thereby between the crosshead, and the frame and to the engaged and disengaged positions of the device when the sections and rods are stationary and the Zapparatus inoperative, and a guide comprising co-acting parts which are connected with the two members and guide them into. engagement.

5. Lifting and lowering apparatus in- .cluding a lifting and lowering chain, and

comprising a crosshead provided with a connection for one end of the chain, a frame, sections pivoted to the frame, rods pivotally connected with the sections and crosshead, a sheave attached to the crosshead, a pair of sheaves suspended from the first mentioned sheave by the said chain arranged thereon, a suspension coupling device embodying a pair of engaging and disengaging members one of which is rotatably connected with the pair of sheaves suspended on the said chain and is provided with three sets of cam surfaces two of which surfaces are divided by through slots and the other member is attached to the frame on which the sections are pivoted and is provided with pins which engage with the cam surfaces and pass through the slots to the engaged and disengaged positions when the sections are inoperative and stationary, and a guide for the movable member and pair of sheaves comprising co-acting parts one of which is attached to the movable member and pair of sheaves and the other is attached tothe frame on which the sections are pivoted.

6. Lifting and lowering apparatus comprising a suspension coupling device within the apparatus the members of which are movable to the engaged and disengaged positions when the apparatus is inoperative and including supporting chains, a second suspension coupling device comprising eniia engaged position and also in the disengaged I position.

7. Lifting and lowering apparatus comprising a crosshead, pivoted sections, rods connecting the sections to the crosshead, and a suspension coupling device embodying members which are connected with the sections and crosshead and engage and disengage when the sections are stationary, and including supporting chains, a second sus pension coupling device embodying members which are connected with the said crosshead and the supporting chains, and a lifting and lowering chain which is operatively connected with both suspension coupling deeach other when the sections are inoperative and one of which is connected with the sections and the other is connected with the cross head, anda guide comprising co-acting parts connected with the said members, and including supporting chains, a second suspension coupling device comprising members one of which is connected with the crosshead and the other with the supporting chains, and a lifting and lowering chain which is operatively connected with the firstmentioned suspension coupling device and extends through the second mentioned coupling device and guides the members thereof.

9. Lifting and lowering apparatus including a lifting and lowering chain, and a grab comprising a crosshead to which one end. of the chain is attached, .a frame, bucket sections the inner edges of which are pivoted to the frame, rods pivoted at their ends to the crosshead and to the outer edges of the sections, a sheave connected .to the cross head, a pair of sheaves suspended by the chainon thesheave connected to the crosshead,'a suspension coupling device embody- 7 ing a pair of engaging and disengaging members one of which members is rotatably mounted on the pair of sheaves and is provided with three sets of cam surfaces two of which are divided by through slots and the other ofwhich members is attached to the frame and is provided with pins which engage with the cam surfaces and pass through the slots to the engaged and disengaged positions of the device, and a guide comprising pairs of co-acting parts one of each of which is attached to the frame and the other of each is attached to the pair of sheaves.

10. Lifting and lowering apparatus comprising a lifting and lowering chain, a grab embodyinga crosshead to which one end of the chain is attached, a frame, bucket sections the inner edges of which are pivoted to the frame, rods pivoted at their ends to the crosshead and to the outer edges of the sec-j tions, a sheave connected to the crosshead, a pair of sheaves suspended by the chain on the sheave connected to the crosshead, a

suspension coupling device embodyinga pair of engaglng and disengaging members one of which members is rotatably mounted on the pair of sheaves and is provided with three sets of cam surfaces two of which are divided by through slots and the other of which members is attached to the frame and is provided with pins which engage with the cam surfaces and pass through the slots to the engaged and disengaged positions of the device, and a guide comprising pairs of coacting parts one of each of which is at tached to the frame and the other of each is attached to the pair of sheaves, supporting chains and a second suspension coupling de: vice comprising a pair ofengaging and disengaging members through which the lifting and lowering chain extends as a guide, one of such members being attached to the supporting chains and provided with three sets of cam surfaces two of which are divided by through slots, and the other of such members being rotatably mounted on the crosshead of the grab and provided with pins which engage with the cam surfaces of the member attached to the supporting chain and connect or disconnect the members of the second suspension coupling device when the grab is given'slight' reciprocatory vertical movements by the lifting and lowering chain. V s

11. In lifting andlowerin apparatus, the

combination of a frame, across head dis posed above said frame, grab members pivoted to said frame, an articulated connection. between the free ends of the mem! bers and the cross head,:an element mounted for reciprocation on said frame and carrying a sheave, a lifting cable connected to the cross head and passing over the sheave on the reciprocating element, coupling means between the reciprocating element and frame comprising two parts, one of which is rotatable with respect to the other, one of the combination of aframe, a cross head. disposed above said frame, grab members pivoted to said frame, an articulated connection between the free ends of the'mem bers and the cross head, anelement mounted for reciprocation on said frame and carrying a sheave, a lifting cable connected to the cross, head and passing over the sheave on the reciprocating element, 'a cylindrical cam member mounted for rotation about its axis on the reciprocating element and having steps into a locking position in which the elea zig-zag cam groove around the same with ment and frame are locked together and 10 a plurality of cam slots leading thereto, a then through further reciprocations into a follower on said frame and adapted to enter position opposite another slot substantially 5 the groove through one of said slots and by as described. H reaction with the walls of the grooves dur- In witness whereof I have hereunto set my ing slight reciprocations of the element rohand. tate the cam member progressively and by WVALTER JOHN HOLLICK. 

